Planning for a Move Together

Posted by Sarah Bown on February 14, 2018 at 7:40 AM

Combining households can be beautiful, exciting, and frightening at the same time. Whether you are an excited new couple, newlywed couple, or anything in between, with such heightened emotion it's important to have a plan to help you navigate through all the movement. Before creating a plan, have an open discussion with your significant other about what your space together needs, your preferred design styles, the layout, measurements and how you can minimize clutter.

Step 1: The Stuff

After creating a preliminary plan, ease into the moving process by itemizing and categorizing your possessions on your own with streamlining as a central goal. Be sure to encourage your partner to do the same. There are four major categories each item will be in keep, sale, donate/gift, and discard. Our relocation experts recommend knowing what matters to you first and then evaluating what items will be needed in your new space. For more details on this process read our January blog article "Ready to move? What now?" Remember to "tag" items and create a written list of items you want to keep.

Step 2: The Keepers

So you have a list of items you've determined are must haves and your partner does too. Both of you are connected to the memories of these items and find great significance in being able to keep what you love. Keeping an open mind and even more open communication can make the process of minimizing your "keep" piles simpler. Since memories and emotions are often tied to items and objects it’s important to listen to your partner through this step to come to an amicable compromise. Remember to streamline your inventory list after this step.

As mentioned in "How to Declutter with Liquidation in Mind" there are a few items you may want to look for that could sell well in an online auction or estate sale as you streamline or declutter your "keeper" list. Liquidation could be a cool boost to a new beginning.

Step 3: The Pack

Love it or hate it packing is an essential step in any move. For couples, this can be a fun step together or with the added help of supportive family and friends. If you aren't hiring a company that specializes in relocations from start to finish, like Caring Transitions, here's a list of how to organize your packing party:

- Prepare an essentials box, weekender, or suitcase with everything you need for the first few days.

- Pack room-by-room and use your streamlined inventory list as a guide for what to pack.

- Label boxes with destination room and a content description.

- Place heavier items on the bottom of the box and fill empty spaces with light items.

All your hard work preparing for the move is about to pay off! Your plans make moving day simpler because there's a dedicated place and space for everything. During the move be as transparent as possible about expectations and the plans you created together while remembering accidents and conflict may still happen while resettling.

Ultimately follow the steps laid out in this article as a guideline for organizing the moving process for you and your partner. The biggest step in this process is to enjoy this exciting time in your relationship journey and remember the reasons you chose to do this together.